{"id":2721,"date":"2019-07-12T12:01:59","date_gmt":"2019-07-12T11:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/pt\/?p=2721"},"modified":"2020-05-21T17:34:54","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T16:34:54","slug":"","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/limpa-aduba-um-programa-de-apoio-a-producao-e-gestao-florestal\/","title":{"rendered":"Clear and Fertilize, a programme providing support for forest production and management","raw":"Clear and Fertilize, a programme providing support for forest production and management"},"content":{"rendered":"

Active and professional forest management pays off. CELPA is working in partnership with producers, forestry service providers and with the timber industry to implement a programme covering almost 250,000 acres (100,000 hectares). The result will be an increase in timber production within that area but with a lower fire risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Clear and\nFertilize programme, promoted by the Paper Industry Association (CELPA), forms\npart of the Better Eucalyptus project. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, who is in charge of implementing the programme, is a man\nwhose life and work are connected with the forest. He worked as a forest\nengineer at Soporcel for 18 years (1985-2002), where he headed up the Forest\nManagement Planning Office. From 2002 to 2005 he was the director-general of\nForestry (DGF and DGRF) and the director of the Biomass and Energy Centre\n[Centro de Biomassa e Energia (CBE)]. From 2005 he worked as a consultant at\nseveral companies in the forestry sector, and after 2009 took on the\nAdministration of Metacortex. In February of 2013 he was elected chairman of\nthe Engineering Association\u2019s Forest Engineering College. He has worked with\nCELPA since January 2017, when he was invited to join and coordinate a more\noperational dimension of CELPA\u2019s Better Eucalyptus programme, in order to\nextend the outreach of its technical support structure to private individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ant\u00f3nio Macedo explains the Clear and Fertilize\ninitiative and the reasons why it was created. \u201cThe hangover after the forest\nfires of 2017 led to apathy, a total lack of interest and a withdrawal of\ninvestment by many forest owners and producers. Furthermore, forest reform was\npassed that penalised and discredited the eucalyptus tree\u201d. He tells us how\nthose who work on the ground know that many people lost their enthusiasm for\nworking the forest. They now prefer to hand over or sell their land. A hefty\nproportion of owners were already failing to comply with minimal forest\nmanagement standards and good practices, and following 2017 this situation only\nworsened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portuguese\nindustry lacks timber <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of\ntimber is a problem, and the increased and perceived risk by owners associated\nwith investing in forestry is not helping. It\u2019s a worrying situation for CELPA\nand for the industry. A plot which should hold 100 trees is only holding 50,\neven on fertile ground, as a result of the forest being neglected and good\npractices not being applied on the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n

\"Separador\"<\/div>

Simple procedures with no red tape, which respect owners\u2019 autonomy<\/h3><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As well as the\ndevastation of eucalyptus forests caused by the 2017 fires, there are also\npests and diseases which affect productivity. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo coordinates an Iberia-wide plan of action to fight and\ncontrol the eucalyptus weevil (Gonipterus platensis), which also affects\neucalyptus tree productivity. If we add to these factors the legal limitations\nand restrictions on planting, we end up with a scenario where there is a highly\nproblematic imbalance between timber production and consumption. <\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Goals of the Clear and Fertilize programme<\/h2>

1.\tReduce the risk of forest fire and pests, increasing the eucalyptus forest\u2019s resistance and resilience by controlling vegetation and selecting saplings.
\n2.\tIncreasing productivity of privately-owned eucalyptus, by encouraging forest management using good practices, but also by promoting investment with a view to achieving greater profitability.
\n3.\tImproving relations with stakeholders and ensuring better public opinion, by cultivating a better image for the tree species.
\n4.\tPromoting forest management and certification with owners and the organisations which represent them.
\n <\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Promoting\nforest management by owners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An owner of a\nforest mini-holding with a small plot of land generally does nothing to improve\nit. Some of the rationale behind this outlook is: \u201cIf I\u2019m lucky I may just get\nby \u2013 I didn\u2019t invest anything but I still managed to make some money; however,\nif there\u2019s a fire I won\u2019t have lost much because I didn\u2019t spend anything.\u201d  In order to fight against this inertia and\nlack of interest, the industry decided to support the sector in promoting good\npractices and increasing forest owners\u2019 productivity. It was against this\nbackground that the Better Eucalyptus project arose in 2015. It was important\nto understand the best way to convey knowledge to owners. An information\nwebsite was created, and 15 excellent videos produced detailing best forestry\npractices and different operations. Sessions were held up and down the country.\nIt was a worthy effort but it needed to go further, with forest management\noperations actually implemented, together with owners employing good practices\nfrom a more operational standpoint. As Ant\u00f3nio Macedo says, \u201cAnyone can pay lip service, but it\u2019s more difficult to\nactually do what needs to be done. Talk is cheap\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Models of\ncooperation with forestry management bodies were tested on the ground\nthroughout 2017. Pilot projects were trialled, with the prior knowledge that\nthese experiments may not be a total success but would indicate the path that\nneeded to be taken and the best way to support forest owners. The projects were\ncarried out in the region of mini-holdings in Cantanhede, where half the\ndistrict\u2019s plots of land averaged about two and a half acres (one hectare). This\ncan be transposed to this entire region. The pilot project was assisted by an\nassociation of forest producers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second pilot\nproject was held in the area of Abrantes with Sociedade Gestiverde, which\nmanages a Forest Intervention Zone [Zona de Interven\u00e7\u00e3o Florestal (ZIF)], and\nwhich knows the area of intervention, the land and the owners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ant\u00f3nio Macedo acknowledges that not many signed up\nto this initiative, partly owing to the kind of measures proposed and to the\ncontractual requirements. On top of this, there were the fires of 2017, which\nlaid waste to two thirds of the ZIF in Abrantes and all of Cantanhede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focusing on a\nmodel of proximity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim was to\nlearn from past mistakes in encouraging proximity and building closer ties with\nforest producers and owners, based on the Growth Sul programme which aimed to\nincrease productivity and resilience to fire. The initiative came to CELPA\u2019s\nattention. The process was a simple one: owners had to invest to control\nvegetation, and adjust densities and fuel management, and in return they would\nreceive investment to fertilize their cleared land.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Separador\"<\/div>

As well decreasing the fire risk, the programme also allows productivity to be increased<\/h3><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The initiative,\nwhich was implemented at the start of 2018 in the districts of Monchique,\nOdemira and Aljezur, was welcomed by owners, with 104 of them signing up and an\narea of intervention of almost 2,500 acres (1,002 hectares). Three service\nproviders also joined up to help implement the Growth Sul programme. The way in\nwhich the model was received was the spark that ignited CELPA\u2019s desire to roll\nit out to other areas. \u201cWe liked the concept. We understood that we needed to\ntest this model on mini-holdings, starting with pilot projects in the districts\nof Cantanhede, Anadia and \u00c1gueda.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition,\nthey understood that they couldn\u2019t just involve forest producer associations,\nand would have to extend their remit to include timber suppliers and service\nproviders. Ant\u00f3nio tells us \u201cThese bodies are able\nto reach many smaller owners and can help in growing the network of partners\ninvolved\u201d, and emphasises that \u201cwhere there\u2019s business to be done, the emphasis\nis different, and there is a different impetus\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Eligibility criteria of eucalyptus areas <\/h2>


\n\u2022 Pure eucalyptus population;
\n\u2022 Area suitable for eucalyptus;
\n\u2022 Population age range from 2 to 6 years, preferably until the 3rd rotation;
\n\u2022 Densities of populations (>800 living stumps);
\n\u2022 Areas with no environmental restraints, particularly on fertilization;
\n\u2022 Areas of over 0.6 acres (0.25 hectares) per plot;
\n\u2022 Priority and upscaling of forest certification;
\n\u2022 Owner\u2019s commitment to clearing land and selecting saplings,
\nin accordance with the technical recommendation of the Better Eucalyptus Project.
\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Over four weeks,\nwith four partners taking part (loggers, service providers and forest producer\nassociations) almost 500 acres (over 200 hectares) were identified as being\nsuitable for hosting the programme. Work was carried out on 370 acres (150\nhectares), corresponding to 48 plots of land on the spot, the smallest of which\nwas one acre. The owners cleared their land, and in return were offered\nfertilizer and its application. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo\nsays that \u201cEveryone was happy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to\nCELPA, the model adopted was a hit. It demonstrated that it could be replicated\non a larger scale and that the Clear and Fertilize initiative was good at\nstimulating action in areas of mini-holdings. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo explains what, in his view, led to this initiative being\nsuccessful and highly-regarded by those who signed up to the programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf ground is\ncleared in accordance with technical recommendations the fire risk is decreased\nby reducing the fuel load. This doesn\u2019t mean that that plot of land can\u2019t be\nswept by a forest fire, but the risk is lowered. Even if that area does burn,\nit is more resilient. It still burns, but its recovery is much faster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well\ndecreasing the fire risk, the programme also allows productivity to be\nincreased. This could be the driving force to guarantee that this initiative\nremains in operation for a long time. In the near future, if the results of the\nprogramme are positive, and the timber imports are able to be reduced, CELPA\u2019s\ngoal is to channel a part of that sum towards continuing with the initiative.\nIndeed, with the restrictions on increasing new areas of eucalyptus, the\nchallenge is to increase productivity. Macedo assures us that \u201cThere is great\nscope for improvement in existing eucalyptus forests\u201d, and he cites the example\nof what happened during five consecutive years in a network of permanent plots\nwhich were subject to on-the-ground visits. 64% of those plots showed no signs\nwhatsoever of management having been carried out. This demonstrates how the\nforest is neglected and explains low productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple to\nsign up <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forest\nmanagement pays off, and this programme helps to promote it. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo believes that the two main aspects\nof Clear and Fertilize are \u201cthere being no commitment to selling the timber,\nand a removal of red tape in signing up for the programme, with no contractual\ndocumentation, which greatly simplified the signing up process\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Separador\"<\/div>

The programme is only implemented in areas which are purely eucalyptus rather than a mixture of trees, and on land which is average to very good for eucalyptus cultivation<\/h3><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Further to these\ntwo points, there is also the forest agents\u2019 positive reaction towards the\nadvantages and benefits of \u201cbusiness\u201d taking place, either for the loggers,\nowners, forest producer associations and service providers, of appropriate interventions\nbeing carried out, of case-specific good practices being implemented on each\nproperty, and finally, of setting up a partnership for resuming forest\nmanagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result of\nthe pilot projects undertaken in these areas was an eye-opener. The interventions\ncould clearly be seen in the form of cleared undergrowth of appropriate\ndensity, which has a positive impact on the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extending to\n250,000 acres <\/strong>(100,000\nhectares)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Clear and\nFertilize project was created for mini-holdings and designed to be applied in\nfive regions. In accordance with CELPA\u2019s inventory data, the programme is only\nimplemented in areas which are purely eucalyptus rather than a mixture of\ntrees, and on land which is average to very good for eucalyptus cultivation.\nOur interviewee tells us \u201cthe earlier the intervention is carried out, the\nbetter the results will be\u201d. He explains that when resources are limited,\nchoices have to be made. On the land selected for intervention, not including\nits own property managed directly by the industry, the existing area for the\nenhancement programme includes over a million acres (411,000 hectares). <\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

The forest is only given priority at election time <\/h2>

He was the Director-General of Forestry from 2002 to 2005. He gained this position not through political affiliation but on technical merit alone, which he had accrued at Soporcel. He acknowledges that it wasn\u2019t an easy decision to switch jobs. \u201cYou give everything you\u2019ve got, until there\u2019s nothing more to give\u201d. As always happens, the forest is always a priority at election time, but when it comes to taking action there are always other issues to deal with. With Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, it was no different. He found a minister with other priorities within his Ministry. This was the case with Armando Sevinate Pinto, the minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries from 2002 to July 2004. But after the major fires of 2003 which saw over a million acres (430,000 hectares) go up in flames, Ant\u00f3nio Macedo says he witnessed the minister spending 70% of his time rethinking the forest and coming up with measures to prevent such an event being repeated. Many of the measures still in place came about at that time. One of them was the structural reform of the forestry sector which included the permanent management fund \u2013 provided through a fuel tax \u2013 GIFs (Major Forest Fires), and the management fund.
\nAs a professional and technician, Ant\u00f3nio Macedo thought it would be impossible to get any worse than the fires of 2003. Unfortunately, the events of 2017 showed how wrong he was.
\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Clear and\nFertilize plan drawn up by CELPA, for a period of five years, aims to cover\n250,000 acres (100,000 hectares of eucalyptus forest. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo would like to go even further than\nthat, but his plan is very difficult to design and implement, particularly on\nmini-holdings. We are at Year 0, and we still don\u2019t have a real idea of how it\nwill be received and how the initiative will develop on the ground. For now, it\nhas been well received. <\/p>\n\n\n

\"Separador\"<\/div>

The impacts and benefits of the Clear and Fertilize programme are evident for all those involved, distributing wealth amongst the entire forestry industry<\/h3><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The programme\nhas already been put in place in three operating regions. This year each region\nwill have an area of around 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares), making a total\nintervention of almost 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares). Next year this initiative\nwill be extended to two more regions, making a total area of 30,000 acres\n(12,000 hectares), the year after that 37,000 acres (15,000 hectares) and the\nfollowing year 44,500 acres (18,000 hectares). It will follow an upward curve\nuntil 2024, by which time the area covered by the Clear and Fertilize programme\nwill have totalled 250,000 acres (100,000 hectares).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implementation\nthrough partners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the\nproject that has been designed and approved by CELPA. On issues relating to the\nmethodology and process, CELPA will not be directly joining the operation with\nowners, as the initiative is being implemented on the ground through a network\nof partners. The association deems that the network or partners may be an\norganisation of forest producers, a service provider, a logger or a forest\ncertification group. According to Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, \u201cAll bodies which reach out to owners via their EAC business\nactivity and which may bring this initiative to them are of interest to us, to\nform part of our network of partners\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The impacts and\nbenefits of the Clear and Fertilize programme are evident for all those\ninvolved, distributing wealth amongst the entire forestry industry. The\nsimplified signing-up procedure, with no red tape, enables owners to increase\nproductivity on their land which, in practice, translates into increased\nrevenue. More timber produced in the same area is also a positive thing for\nloggers and service providers. Once cleared, the area will be more resilient to\nfire, and there will be less land burnt and decreased losses. It is estimated\nthat there will be an increase of two million cubic metres between 2023 and\n2033, which will allow for a portion of the timber imported to meet the\nindustry\u2019s needs to be replaced by home-grown timber. \n\nAnt\u00f3nio Macedo knows that for the initiative to be\nsuccessful, it needs a good communication strategy, both inside and outside\ncompanies. Partners therefore have to be carefully chosen to make up the\nnetwork, making sure to include bodies and companies which can see the benefits\nof this initiative: \u201cThe partners mustn\u2019t feel threatened by the industry or\ncompete with it. The industry has historically been very inward-looking,\nfocusing on its own needs and properties. This is a large-scale programme to\npromote and increase the value of the forest which is in private hands, and\nthis may lead to some conflicts with service providers. We need to handle this issue\nsensitively.\u201d \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n[lead]Active and professional forest management pays off. CELPA is working in partnership with producers, forestry service providers and with the timber industry to implement a programme covering almost 250,000 acres (100,000 hectares). The result will be an increase in timber production within that area but with a lower fire risk. [\/lead]\n\n\n\n

The Clear and\nFertilize programme, promoted by the Paper Industry Association (CELPA), forms\npart of the Better Eucalyptus project. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, who is in charge of implementing the programme, is a man\nwhose life and work are connected with the forest. He worked as a forest\nengineer at Soporcel for 18 years (1985-2002), where he headed up the Forest\nManagement Planning Office. From 2002 to 2005 he was the director-general of\nForestry (DGF and DGRF) and the director of the Biomass and Energy Centre\n[Centro de Biomassa e Energia (CBE)]. From 2005 he worked as a consultant at\nseveral companies in the forestry sector, and after 2009 took on the\nAdministration of Metacortex. In February of 2013 he was elected chairman of\nthe Engineering Association\u2019s Forest Engineering College. He has worked with\nCELPA since January 2017, when he was invited to join and coordinate a more\noperational dimension of CELPA\u2019s Better Eucalyptus programme, in order to\nextend the outreach of its technical support structure to private individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ant\u00f3nio Macedo explains the Clear and Fertilize\ninitiative and the reasons why it was created. \u201cThe hangover after the forest\nfires of 2017 led to apathy, a total lack of interest and a withdrawal of\ninvestment by many forest owners and producers. Furthermore, forest reform was\npassed that penalised and discredited the eucalyptus tree\u201d. He tells us how\nthose who work on the ground know that many people lost their enthusiasm for\nworking the forest. They now prefer to hand over or sell their land. A hefty\nproportion of owners were already failing to comply with minimal forest\nmanagement standards and good practices, and following 2017 this situation only\nworsened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portuguese\nindustry lacks timber <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of\ntimber is a problem, and the increased and perceived risk by owners associated\nwith investing in forestry is not helping. It\u2019s a worrying situation for CELPA\nand for the industry. A plot which should hold 100 trees is only holding 50,\neven on fertile ground, as a result of the forest being neglected and good\npractices not being applied on the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"Simple procedures with no red tape, which respect owners\u2019 autonomy\" ]\n\n\n\n

As well as the\ndevastation of eucalyptus forests caused by the 2017 fires, there are also\npests and diseases which affect productivity. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo coordinates an Iberia-wide plan of action to fight and\ncontrol the eucalyptus weevil (Gonipterus platensis), which also affects\neucalyptus tree productivity. If we add to these factors the legal limitations\nand restrictions on planting, we end up with a scenario where there is a highly\nproblematic imbalance between timber production and consumption. <\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3204\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"Goals of the Clear and Fertilize programme\" type=\"normal\"] 1.\tReduce the risk of forest fire and pests, increasing the eucalyptus forest\u2019s resistance and resilience by controlling vegetation and selecting saplings.\n2.\tIncreasing productivity of privately-owned eucalyptus, by encouraging forest management using good practices, but also by promoting investment with a view to achieving greater profitability.\n3.\tImproving relations with stakeholders and ensuring better public opinion, by cultivating a better image for the tree species.\n4.\tPromoting forest management and certification with owners and the organisations which represent them.\n [\/card]\n\n\n\n

Promoting\nforest management by owners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An owner of a\nforest mini-holding with a small plot of land generally does nothing to improve\nit. Some of the rationale behind this outlook is: \u201cIf I\u2019m lucky I may just get\nby \u2013 I didn\u2019t invest anything but I still managed to make some money; however,\nif there\u2019s a fire I won\u2019t have lost much because I didn\u2019t spend anything.\u201d  In order to fight against this inertia and\nlack of interest, the industry decided to support the sector in promoting good\npractices and increasing forest owners\u2019 productivity. It was against this\nbackground that the Better Eucalyptus project arose in 2015. It was important\nto understand the best way to convey knowledge to owners. An information\nwebsite was created, and 15 excellent videos produced detailing best forestry\npractices and different operations. Sessions were held up and down the country.\nIt was a worthy effort but it needed to go further, with forest management\noperations actually implemented, together with owners employing good practices\nfrom a more operational standpoint. As Ant\u00f3nio Macedo says, \u201cAnyone can pay lip service, but it\u2019s more difficult to\nactually do what needs to be done. Talk is cheap\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Models of\ncooperation with forestry management bodies were tested on the ground\nthroughout 2017. Pilot projects were trialled, with the prior knowledge that\nthese experiments may not be a total success but would indicate the path that\nneeded to be taken and the best way to support forest owners. The projects were\ncarried out in the region of mini-holdings in Cantanhede, where half the\ndistrict\u2019s plots of land averaged about two and a half acres (one hectare). This\ncan be transposed to this entire region. The pilot project was assisted by an\nassociation of forest producers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second pilot\nproject was held in the area of Abrantes with Sociedade Gestiverde, which\nmanages a Forest Intervention Zone [Zona de Interven\u00e7\u00e3o Florestal (ZIF)], and\nwhich knows the area of intervention, the land and the owners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ant\u00f3nio Macedo acknowledges that not many signed up\nto this initiative, partly owing to the kind of measures proposed and to the\ncontractual requirements. On top of this, there were the fires of 2017, which\nlaid waste to two thirds of the ZIF in Abrantes and all of Cantanhede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focusing on a\nmodel of proximity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim was to\nlearn from past mistakes in encouraging proximity and building closer ties with\nforest producers and owners, based on the Growth Sul programme which aimed to\nincrease productivity and resilience to fire. The initiative came to CELPA\u2019s\nattention. The process was a simple one: owners had to invest to control\nvegetation, and adjust densities and fuel management, and in return they would\nreceive investment to fertilize their cleared land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"As well decreasing the fire risk, the programme also allows productivity to be increased\"]\n\n\n\n

The initiative,\nwhich was implemented at the start of 2018 in the districts of Monchique,\nOdemira and Aljezur, was welcomed by owners, with 104 of them signing up and an\narea of intervention of almost 2,500 acres (1,002 hectares). Three service\nproviders also joined up to help implement the Growth Sul programme. The way in\nwhich the model was received was the spark that ignited CELPA\u2019s desire to roll\nit out to other areas. \u201cWe liked the concept. We understood that we needed to\ntest this model on mini-holdings, starting with pilot projects in the districts\nof Cantanhede, Anadia and \u00c1gueda.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition,\nthey understood that they couldn\u2019t just involve forest producer associations,\nand would have to extend their remit to include timber suppliers and service\nproviders. Ant\u00f3nio tells us \u201cThese bodies are able\nto reach many smaller owners and can help in growing the network of partners\ninvolved\u201d, and emphasises that \u201cwhere there\u2019s business to be done, the emphasis\nis different, and there is a different impetus\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3213\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"Eligibility criteria of eucalyptus areas \" type=\"normal \"] \n\u2022 Pure eucalyptus population; \n\u2022 Area suitable for eucalyptus;\n\u2022 Population age range from 2 to 6 years, preferably until the 3rd rotation;\n\u2022 Densities of populations (>800 living stumps);\n\u2022 Areas with no environmental restraints, particularly on fertilization; \n\u2022 Areas of over 0.6 acres (0.25 hectares) per plot;\n\u2022 Priority and upscaling of forest certification;\n\u2022 Owner\u2019s commitment to clearing land and selecting saplings, \nin accordance with the technical recommendation of the Better Eucalyptus Project.\n[\/card]\n\n\n\n

Over four weeks,\nwith four partners taking part (loggers, service providers and forest producer\nassociations) almost 500 acres (over 200 hectares) were identified as being\nsuitable for hosting the programme. Work was carried out on 370 acres (150\nhectares), corresponding to 48 plots of land on the spot, the smallest of which\nwas one acre. The owners cleared their land, and in return were offered\nfertilizer and its application. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo\nsays that \u201cEveryone was happy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to\nCELPA, the model adopted was a hit. It demonstrated that it could be replicated\non a larger scale and that the Clear and Fertilize initiative was good at\nstimulating action in areas of mini-holdings. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo explains what, in his view, led to this initiative being\nsuccessful and highly-regarded by those who signed up to the programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf ground is\ncleared in accordance with technical recommendations the fire risk is decreased\nby reducing the fuel load. This doesn\u2019t mean that that plot of land can\u2019t be\nswept by a forest fire, but the risk is lowered. Even if that area does burn,\nit is more resilient. It still burns, but its recovery is much faster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well\ndecreasing the fire risk, the programme also allows productivity to be\nincreased. This could be the driving force to guarantee that this initiative\nremains in operation for a long time. In the near future, if the results of the\nprogramme are positive, and the timber imports are able to be reduced, CELPA\u2019s\ngoal is to channel a part of that sum towards continuing with the initiative.\nIndeed, with the restrictions on increasing new areas of eucalyptus, the\nchallenge is to increase productivity. Macedo assures us that \u201cThere is great\nscope for improvement in existing eucalyptus forests\u201d, and he cites the example\nof what happened during five consecutive years in a network of permanent plots\nwhich were subject to on-the-ground visits. 64% of those plots showed no signs\nwhatsoever of management having been carried out. This demonstrates how the\nforest is neglected and explains low productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple to\nsign up <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forest\nmanagement pays off, and this programme helps to promote it. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo believes that the two main aspects\nof Clear and Fertilize are \u201cthere being no commitment to selling the timber,\nand a removal of red tape in signing up for the programme, with no contractual\ndocumentation, which greatly simplified the signing up process\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"The programme is only implemented in areas which are purely eucalyptus rather than a mixture of trees, and on land which is average to very good for eucalyptus cultivation\"]\n\n\n\n

Further to these\ntwo points, there is also the forest agents\u2019 positive reaction towards the\nadvantages and benefits of \u201cbusiness\u201d taking place, either for the loggers,\nowners, forest producer associations and service providers, of appropriate interventions\nbeing carried out, of case-specific good practices being implemented on each\nproperty, and finally, of setting up a partnership for resuming forest\nmanagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result of\nthe pilot projects undertaken in these areas was an eye-opener. The interventions\ncould clearly be seen in the form of cleared undergrowth of appropriate\ndensity, which has a positive impact on the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extending to\n250,000 acres <\/strong>(100,000\nhectares)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Clear and\nFertilize project was created for mini-holdings and designed to be applied in\nfive regions. In accordance with CELPA\u2019s inventory data, the programme is only\nimplemented in areas which are purely eucalyptus rather than a mixture of\ntrees, and on land which is average to very good for eucalyptus cultivation.\nOur interviewee tells us \u201cthe earlier the intervention is carried out, the\nbetter the results will be\u201d. He explains that when resources are limited,\nchoices have to be made. On the land selected for intervention, not including\nits own property managed directly by the industry, the existing area for the\nenhancement programme includes over a million acres (411,000 hectares). <\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3225\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"The forest is only given priority at election time \" type=\"normal\"] He was the Director-General of Forestry from 2002 to 2005. He gained this position not through political affiliation but on technical merit alone, which he had accrued at Soporcel. He acknowledges that it wasn\u2019t an easy decision to switch jobs. \u201cYou give everything you\u2019ve got, until there\u2019s nothing more to give\u201d. As always happens, the forest is always a priority at election time, but when it comes to taking action there are always other issues to deal with. With Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, it was no different. He found a minister with other priorities within his Ministry. This was the case with Armando Sevinate Pinto, the minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries from 2002 to July 2004. But after the major fires of 2003 which saw over a million acres (430,000 hectares) go up in flames, Ant\u00f3nio Macedo says he witnessed the minister spending 70% of his time rethinking the forest and coming up with measures to prevent such an event being repeated. Many of the measures still in place came about at that time. One of them was the structural reform of the forestry sector which included the permanent management fund \u2013 provided through a fuel tax \u2013 GIFs (Major Forest Fires), and the management fund. \nAs a professional and technician, Ant\u00f3nio Macedo thought it would be impossible to get any worse than the fires of 2003. Unfortunately, the events of 2017 showed how wrong he was.\n[\/card]\n\n\n\n

The Clear and\nFertilize plan drawn up by CELPA, for a period of five years, aims to cover\n250,000 acres (100,000 hectares of eucalyptus forest. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo would like to go even further than\nthat, but his plan is very difficult to design and implement, particularly on\nmini-holdings. We are at Year 0, and we still don\u2019t have a real idea of how it\nwill be received and how the initiative will develop on the ground. For now, it\nhas been well received. <\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"The impacts and benefits of the Clear and Fertilize programme are evident for all those involved, distributing wealth amongst the entire forestry industry\"]\n\n\n\n

The programme\nhas already been put in place in three operating regions. This year each region\nwill have an area of around 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares), making a total\nintervention of almost 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares). Next year this initiative\nwill be extended to two more regions, making a total area of 30,000 acres\n(12,000 hectares), the year after that 37,000 acres (15,000 hectares) and the\nfollowing year 44,500 acres (18,000 hectares). It will follow an upward curve\nuntil 2024, by which time the area covered by the Clear and Fertilize programme\nwill have totalled 250,000 acres (100,000 hectares).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implementation\nthrough partners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the\nproject that has been designed and approved by CELPA. On issues relating to the\nmethodology and process, CELPA will not be directly joining the operation with\nowners, as the initiative is being implemented on the ground through a network\nof partners. The association deems that the network or partners may be an\norganisation of forest producers, a service provider, a logger or a forest\ncertification group. According to Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, \u201cAll bodies which reach out to owners via their EAC business\nactivity and which may bring this initiative to them are of interest to us, to\nform part of our network of partners\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3222\"]\n\n\n\n

The impacts and\nbenefits of the Clear and Fertilize programme are evident for all those\ninvolved, distributing wealth amongst the entire forestry industry. The\nsimplified signing-up procedure, with no red tape, enables owners to increase\nproductivity on their land which, in practice, translates into increased\nrevenue. More timber produced in the same area is also a positive thing for\nloggers and service providers. Once cleared, the area will be more resilient to\nfire, and there will be less land burnt and decreased losses. It is estimated\nthat there will be an increase of two million cubic metres between 2023 and\n2033, which will allow for a portion of the timber imported to meet the\nindustry\u2019s needs to be replaced by home-grown timber. \n\nAnt\u00f3nio Macedo knows that for the initiative to be\nsuccessful, it needs a good communication strategy, both inside and outside\ncompanies. Partners therefore have to be carefully chosen to make up the\nnetwork, making sure to include bodies and companies which can see the benefits\nof this initiative: \u201cThe partners mustn\u2019t feel threatened by the industry or\ncompete with it. The industry has historically been very inward-looking,\nfocusing on its own needs and properties. This is a large-scale programme to\npromote and increase the value of the forest which is in private hands, and\nthis may lead to some conflicts with service providers. We need to handle this issue\nsensitively.\u201d \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false,"raw":""},"author":3,"featured_media":3198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_pt_post_content":"\n[lead]A gest\u00e3o activa e profissional da floresta compensa. A CELPA est\u00e1 a implementar um programa numa \u00e1rea de 100 mil hectares, em parceria com os produtores, com os prestadores de servi\u00e7os florestais e com a ind\u00fastria. O resultado ser\u00e1 um aumento da produ\u00e7\u00e3o de madeira na mesma \u00e1rea e um menor risco de inc\u00eandio. [\/lead]\n\n\n\n

O programa Limpa & Aduba, promovido pela Associa\u00e7\u00e3o da\nInd\u00fastria Papeleira (CELPA), surge integrado no projeto Melhor Eucalipto. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, o\nrespons\u00e1vel por operacionalizar o programa, \u00e9 um homem cuja vida e profiss\u00e3o est\u00e1 ligada \u00e0 floresta.\nTrabalhou como engenheiro florestal na Soporcel durante 18 anos (1985-2002),\nonde foi respons\u00e1vel pelo Gabinete de Planeamento da Dire\u00e7\u00e3o Florestal. Entre\n2002 e 2005 foi director-geral das Florestas (DGF e DGRF) e administrador do\nCentro de Biomassa e Energia (CBE). A partir de 2005 foi consultor em v\u00e1rias\nempresas do setor florestal tendo, depois de 2009, assumido a Administra\u00e7\u00e3o da\nMetacortex. Em fevereiro de 2013 foi eleito presidente do Col\u00e9gio de Engenharia Florestal da Ordem dos\nEngenheiros (OE). Colabora com a CELPA desde janeiro de 2017, quando foi\nconvidado a integrar e coordenar uma dimens\u00e3o mais operacional do programa\nMelhor Eucalipto, da CELPA, de forma a chegar aos privados com uma estrutura de\napoio t\u00e9cnico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ant\u00f3nio\nMacedo explica a iniciativa Limpa & Aduba e os motivos que lhe est\u00e3o na g\u00e9nese. \u201cA ressaca dos inc\u00eandios\nflorestais de 2017 resultou na apatia, no desinteresse e no desinvestimento de\nmuitos propriet\u00e1rios e produtores florestais. A esta realidade acresce ainda a\naprova\u00e7\u00e3o de uma reforma florestal que penaliza e descredibiliza o eucalipto\u201d,\nconta. O especialista sublinha que quem anda no terreno sabe que h\u00e1 muitas\npessoas que perderam a vontade de trabalhar a floresta. Querem ceder, ou\nvender, os seus terrenos. Uma grande parte dos propriet\u00e1rios j\u00e1 n\u00e3o cumpria os\nm\u00ednimos da gest\u00e3o florestal ou das boas pr\u00e1ticas. \u201cDepois dos inc\u00eandios de 2017 essa situa\u00e7\u00e3o piorou.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Falta madeira <\/strong>\u00e0 ind\u00fastria nacional<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A falta de madeira \u00e9 um\nproblema e o risco aumentado e percepcionado do investimento florestal por\nparte dos propriet\u00e1rios n\u00e3o ajuda. \u00c9 uma situa\u00e7\u00e3o preocupante para a CELPA e\npara a ind\u00fastria. Onde deviam crescer 100 est\u00e3o a crescer 50, mesmos nos solos\nbons, em resultado do abandono da floresta e da falta de aplica\u00e7\u00e3o de boas\npr\u00e1ticas no terreno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"Processos simples e desburocratizados que respeitem a autonomia dos propriet\u00e1rios\" ]\n\n\n\n

Al\u00e9m do\ndesfalque que os inc\u00eandios\ncausaram no eucaliptal em 2017, h\u00e1 pragas e doen\u00e7as que tamb\u00e9m afectam a produtividade. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo coordena um\nprograma de ac\u00e7\u00e3o ib\u00e9rico para combater e controlar o\ngorgulho-do-eucalipto (Gonipterus platensis), pragas que tamb\u00e9m atingem a produtividade do eucalipto. Se\na estes factores juntarmos as restri\u00e7\u00f5es e as limita\u00e7\u00f5es legais ao plantio,\ntemos ent\u00e3o um cen\u00e1rio de grande dificuldade e desequil\u00edbrio entre a produ\u00e7\u00e3o e\no consumo de madeira.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3204\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"Objectivos do Aduba & Limpa\" type=\"normal\"] 1.\tDiminuir o risco de inc\u00eandio florestal e as pragas, aumentando a resist\u00eancia e a resili\u00eancia da floresta de eucalipto, atrav\u00e9s do controlo da vegeta\u00e7\u00e3o e da selec\u00e7\u00e3o de varas.\n2.\tAumentar a produtividade dos eucaliptos dos privados, atrav\u00e9s do fomento da gest\u00e3o florestal com recurso \u00e0s boas pr\u00e1ticas, mas tamb\u00e9m da promo\u00e7\u00e3o do investimento com vista a uma melhor rentabilidade.\n3.\tMelhorar o relacionamento junto dos stakeholders e da opini\u00e3o p\u00fablica, fomentando uma melhor imagem da esp\u00e9cie na fileira.\n4.\tPromover a gest\u00e3o florestal junto dos propriet\u00e1rios e das organiza\u00e7\u00f5es que os representam.\n [\/card]\n\n\n\n

Promover a gest\u00e3o por parte dos propriet\u00e1rios <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Um propriet\u00e1rio florestal de minif\u00fandio que possua uma pequena\nparcela de terreno, regra geral, n\u00e3o faz nada para o melhorar. O racioc\u00ednio por\ntr\u00e1s dessa atitude \u00e9: \u201cSe\ntiver sorte ainda me safo \u2013 n\u00e3o investi nada e consegui tirar algum dinheiro;\nse, entretanto, houver um inc\u00eandio, n\u00e3o perdi grande coisa porque\nn\u00e3o gastei nenhum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Para combater a in\u00e9rcia\ne o desinteresse, a ind\u00fastria decidiu apoiar o setor para promover boas\npr\u00e1ticas e aumentar a produtividade dos propriet\u00e1rios florestais. Foi no \u00e2mbito\ndessa l\u00f3gica que,\nem 2015, surgiu o projecto Melhor Eucalipto. Era importante perceber qual seria\na melhor maneira de transferir conhecimento para os propriet\u00e1rios. Criou-se um\nsite com informa\u00e7\u00e3o, fizeram-se 15 v\u00eddeos, que est\u00e3o muito bem-feitos, sobre boas pr\u00e1ticas\nflorestais e diferentes opera\u00e7\u00f5es. Percorreu-se o Pa\u00eds com v\u00e1rias sess\u00f5es. Tudo\no que foi feito teve m\u00e9rito,\nmas era preciso ir mais longe e concretizar as opera\u00e7\u00f5es de gest\u00e3o florestal\nrecorrendo \u00e0s boas pr\u00e1ticas,\nnuma vertente mais operacional, junto dos propriet\u00e1rios. \u201cPode-se falar e\nescrever muito, mas o dif\u00edcil \u00e9 fazer\nobra\u201d, diz Ant\u00f3nio\nMacedo, referindo que \u201cpalavras, leva-as o vento\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Durante 2017 foram testados no terreno modelos de coopera\u00e7\u00e3o com\nentidades gestoras florestais. Ensaiaram-se dois projetos-piloto, sabendo-se de\nantem\u00e3o que, estas experi\u00eancias\npoderiam ter alguns insucessos, pois seria poss\u00edvel mostrar o caminho a seguir\ne a melhor forma de apoiar os propriet\u00e1rios florestais. Os projetos decorreram\nna regi\u00e3o de minif\u00fandio\nde Cantanhede, onde metade das parcelas do concelho tem uma dimens\u00e3o m\u00e9dia de um hectare. Uma realidade\nque pode ser transposta para toda essa regi\u00e3o. O projeto-piloto teve a ajuda de\numa associa\u00e7\u00e3o de produtores florestais.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O segundo projeto-piloto decorreu na zona de Abrantes com a\nSociedade Gestiverde, gestora de uma Zona de Interven\u00e7\u00e3o Florestal (ZIF),\nconhecedora da \u00e1rea da interven\u00e7\u00e3o,\ndo territ\u00f3rio e dos\npropriet\u00e1rios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ant\u00f3nio\nMacedo reconhece que n\u00e3o houve uma grande ades\u00e3o a esta iniciativa, em parte\ndevido ao tipo de medidas propostas e aos v\u00ednculos contratuais exigidos. Sendo\nnecess\u00e1rio somar a esta realidade os inc\u00eandios de 2017, que arrasaram dois ter\u00e7os da ZIF de Abrantes e a\ntotalidade em Cantanhede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aposta num modelo de proximidade<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aprendendo com os erros do passado na aproxima\u00e7\u00e3o aos\npropriet\u00e1rios e produtores florestais e tendo por base o programa Growth Sul\nque visava o aumento da produtividade e resili\u00eancia aos inc\u00eandios.\nA iniciativa chamou a aten\u00e7\u00e3o da CELPA. O processo era simples: os\npropriet\u00e1rios tinham de investir para controlar a vegeta\u00e7\u00e3o, corrigir as densidades\ne a gest\u00e3o de combust\u00edvel e, em troca, recebiam investimento para fazer a\nfertiliza\u00e7\u00e3o dos terrenos limpos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3213\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"Crit\u00e9rios de elegibilidade das \u00e1reas de eucaliptal\" id_image=\"XXX\" type=\"normal\"] \u2022 Povoamento puro de eucalipto;\n\u2022 \u00c1rea com aptid\u00e3o para eucalipto;\n\u2022 Povoamento com idades entre 2 e 6 anos, preferencialmente at\u00e9 \u00e0 3.\u00aa rota\u00e7\u00e3o;\n\u2022 Densidades dos povoamentos (>800 cepos vivos);\n\u2022 \u00c1reas sem condicionantes ambientais, em particular, \u00e0 aduba\u00e7\u00e3o;\n\u2022 \u00c1reas superiores a 0,25 hectares por parcela com limite m\u00e1ximo de 25 hectares por propriet\u00e1rio;\n\u2022 Prioridade e majora\u00e7\u00e3o da certifica\u00e7\u00e3o florestal;\n\u2022 Compromisso do propriet\u00e1rio em fazer a limpeza e a selec\u00e7\u00e3o de varas, de acordo com a recomenda\u00e7\u00e3o t\u00e9cnica do Projeto Melhor Eucalipto.\n [\/card]\n\n\n\n

A iniciativa, implementada no in\u00edcio de 2018 nos concelhos de\nMonchique, Odemira e Aljezur, foi bem acolhida pelos propriet\u00e1rios, tendo registado\numa ades\u00e3o de 104 propriet\u00e1rios e 1.002 hectares de \u00e1rea intervencionada.\nContou ainda com tr\u00eas\nprestadores de servi\u00e7os na execu\u00e7\u00e3o do programa Growth Sul. A receptividade do\nmodelo foi a espoleta necess\u00e1ria para a CELPA querer levar este modelo a outras\n\u00e1reas. \u201cAch\u00e1mos piada ao\nconceito. Percebemos que dev\u00edamos\ntestar este modelo no minif\u00fandio,\ncome\u00e7ando com projectos-piloto nos concelhos de Cantanhede, Anadia e\n\u00c1gueda.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al\u00e9m disso,\nperceberam que n\u00e3o podiam envolver apenas associa\u00e7\u00f5es de produtores florestais,\nsendo necess\u00e1rio abrir o leque a fornecedores de madeira e prestadores de\nservi\u00e7os. \u201cEstas entidades chegam a muitos pequenos propriet\u00e1rios e podem\najudar a aumentar a rede de parceiros envolvidos\u201d diz o nosso interlocutor,\nsublinhando que \u201conde h\u00e1 neg\u00f3cio, a alavanca \u00e9 outra, as coisas andam com outra\ndesenvoltura\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Em quatro semanas, com a participa\u00e7\u00e3o de quatro parceiros\n(madeireiros, prestadores de servi\u00e7os e organiza\u00e7\u00f5es de produtores florestais)\nforam identificados mais de 200 hectares pass\u00edveis de acolher o programa.\nFez-se obra em 150 hectares, correspondentes a 48 parcelas em spot, tendo a\nmais pequena meio hectare. Os propriet\u00e1rios limparam os terrenos e, em troca,\nreceberam o adubo e a respectiva aplica\u00e7\u00e3o. \u201cHavia um contentamento generalizado entre as pessoas\u201d, explica\nAnt\u00f3nio Macedo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"Al\u00e9m de reduzir o risco de inc\u00eandio, o programa permite tamb\u00e9m aumentar a produtividade\"]\n\n\n\n

De acordo com a CELPA, o modelo agora adotado foi um acerto.\nMostrou que podia ser replicado numa escala maior e que a iniciativa Limpa\n& Aduba tinha capacidade mobilizadora no minif\u00fandio. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo explica o que, para ele,\nentendia serem os motivos que levaram esta iniciativa a ser bem-sucedida e\npercepcionada pelos aderentes ao programa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSe se limpar segundo recomenda\u00e7\u00f5es t\u00e9cnicas diminui-se o risco de inc\u00eandio reduzindo a carga de combust\u00edvel. N\u00e3o quer isto dizer que esse\nterreno n\u00e3o possa arder, mas o risco \u00e9 reduzido. Mesmo que aquele espa\u00e7o arda, a sua resili\u00eancia \u00e9 maior.\nN\u00e3o deixa de arder, mas recupera de forma muito mais r\u00e1pida.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al\u00e9m do risco\nde inc\u00eandio, o programa\npermite tamb\u00e9m aumentar a\nprodutividade. Este pode ser o fio condutor para garantir a operacionalidade\ndesta iniciativa por muito tempo. Num futuro pr\u00f3ximo se o programa mostrar\nresultados, e permitir redu\u00e7\u00e3o da madeira importada, o objectivo da CELPA \u00e9 canalizar parte desse valor para\na continuidade da iniciativa. Pois, com as restri\u00e7\u00f5es que h\u00e1 ao aumento de novas \u00e1reas de\neucalipto, o desafio \u00e9 aumentar\na produtividade. \u201cA margem de melhoria nas \u00e1reas de eucaliptal existentes \u00e9 muito grande\u201d, dando o exemplo do\nque aconteceu durante cinco anos consecutivos, numa rede de parcelas\npermanentes visitadas no terreno, 64% dessas parcelas n\u00e3o tinham quaisquer\nvest\u00edgios de gest\u00e3o. O que mostra o abandono da floresta e a baixa\nprodutividade existente. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simplicidade de ades\u00e3o<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A gest\u00e3o\nflorestal compensa e este programa ajuda a promov\u00ea-la. Para Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, os dois aspectos\nprincipais do Limpa & Aduba s\u00e3o \u201cn\u00e3o existir nenhum compromisso em vender a\nmadeira e uma desburocratiza\u00e7\u00e3o da ades\u00e3o ao programa, sem documenta\u00e7\u00e3o contratual,\no que acaba por simplificar muito o processo de ades\u00e3o\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"O programa s\u00f3 \u00e9 aplicado em \u00e1reas de eucaliptal puro, sem floresta mista, e em terrenos com aptid\u00e3o m\u00e9dia ou muito boa para o eucalipto\"]\n\n\n\n

A estes dois pontos somam-se uma percep\u00e7\u00e3o positiva, por parte\ndos agentes da fileira, das vantagens e dos benef\u00edcios de haver \u201cneg\u00f3cios\u201d, seja para os\nmadeireiros, propriet\u00e1rios, organiza\u00e7\u00f5es de produtores florestais e prestadores\nde servi\u00e7os, de haver interven\u00e7\u00f5es ajustadas e a aplica\u00e7\u00e3o de boas pr\u00e1ticas ao\ncaso particular de cada propriedade e, por \u00faltimo, haver uma parceria para a\nretoma da gest\u00e3o florestal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O resultado dos projectos-piloto nestes 150 hectares foi\nesclarecedor. As interven\u00e7\u00f5es foram visualmente percept\u00edveis, correspondendo a\numa mata limpa e com densidade adequada, o que tem impacto na comunidade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chegar a 100 mil hectares<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

O Limpa & Aduba foi vocacionado para o minif\u00fandio e desenhado\npara ser aplicado em cinco regi\u00f5es. De acordo com os dados do invent\u00e1rio da\nCELPA, o programa s\u00f3 \u00e9 aplicado em \u00e1reas de eucaliptal puro, sem floresta\nmista, e em terrenos com aptid\u00e3o m\u00e9dia\nou muito boa para o eucalipto (ver caixa na p\u00e1g. 54 com os crit\u00e9rios de elegibilidade). \u201cQuanto mais cedo\nfor feita a interven\u00e7\u00e3o, melhores ser\u00e3o os resultados alcan\u00e7ados\u201d, diz Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, explicando\nque quando os recursos s\u00e3o limitados \u00e9 necess\u00e1rio fazer escolhas. No territ\u00f3rio seleccionado para a interven\u00e7\u00e3o,\nexcluindo o patrim\u00f3nio pr\u00f3prio gerido diretamente pela\nind\u00fastria, a \u00e1rea existente para o programa de beneficia\u00e7\u00e3o compreende 411 mil\nhectares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O plano desenhado pela CELPA com o Limpa & Aduba, para um\nprazo de cinco anos, pretende chegar a 100 mil hectares de eucaliptal. O nosso\ninterlocutor gostaria de ir mais longe, mas \u00e9 muito dif\u00edcil desenhar e implementar este plano, sobretudo no\nminif\u00fandio. Est\u00e1 no ano zero, e ainda n\u00e3o h\u00e1 uma no\u00e7\u00e3o real da sua aceita\u00e7\u00e3o e de como se vai\ndesenvolver a iniciativa no terreno. Para j\u00e1, a receptividade est\u00e1 a ser\npositiva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"Os impactos e os benef\u00edcios do programa Limpa & Aduba s\u00e3o claros para todos os intervenientes, distribuindo riqueza por toda a fileira florestal\"]\n\n\n\n

O programa arrancou j\u00e1 em tr\u00eas regi\u00f5es operacionais. Este ano cada regi\u00e3o ter\u00e1 uma \u00e1rea de 2.000\nhectares, totalizando uma interven\u00e7\u00e3o numa \u00e1rea de 6.000 hectares. Para o pr\u00f3ximo ano, com a\namplia\u00e7\u00e3o da iniciativa a mais duas regi\u00f5es, a \u00e1rea total abrangida ser\u00e1 de 12\nmil hectares, no ano seguinte atingir\u00e1 os 15 mil hectares e depois 18.000. Ser\u00e1\numa curva em crescendo at\u00e9 2024,\ndata em que a \u00e1rea intervencionada com o programa Limpa & Aduba ter\u00e1 alcan\u00e7ado os 100 mil\nhectares (ver tabela na p\u00e1g. 57).<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3225\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"A floresta s\u00f3 \u00e9 prioridade pol\u00edtica nos programas eleitorais\" type=\"normal\"] Foi director-geral das Florestas entre 2002 e 2005. Ganhou essa fun\u00e7\u00e3o sem filia\u00e7\u00e3o pol\u00edtica, apenas por m\u00e9rito t\u00e9cnico, uma vez que veio da Soporcel. Reconhece que a decis\u00e3o de mudar n\u00e3o foi f\u00e1cil. \u201cUma pessoa d\u00e1 tudo o que tem, espreme e n\u00e3o sai nada\u201d, diz. Como acontece em todos os casos, a floresta \u00e9 sempre uma prioridade nos programas pol\u00edticos dos partidos, mas quando \u00e9 para passar \u00e0 ac\u00e7\u00e3o, h\u00e1 sempre outras coisas para tratar. Com Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, n\u00e3o foi diferente. Encontrou um ministro com outras prioridades no Minist\u00e9rio. Foi o caso de Armando Sevinate Pinto, ministro da Agricultura, do Desenvolvimento Rural e das Pescas entre 2002 e Julho de 2004. Ap\u00f3s os grandes inc\u00eandios de 2003, em que arderam 430 mil hectares, Ant\u00f3nio Macedo diz que testemunhou que o ministro gastou 70% do seu tempo a repensar a floresta e a encontrar medidas para evitar a repeti\u00e7\u00e3o de uma situa\u00e7\u00e3o daquelas. Muitas das medidas que ainda existem surgiram nessa \u00e9poca. Surgiu a reforma estrutural do sector florestal que incluiu o fundo de gest\u00e3o permanente \u2013 oriundo de uma taxa dos combust\u00edveis, os GIF, o fundo de gest\u00e3o.\nComo profissional e t\u00e9cnico, Ant\u00f3nio Macedo pensou que n\u00e3o seria poss\u00edvel superar a marca dos inc\u00eandios de 2003, que era irrepet\u00edvel. Infelizmente, os acontecimentos e eventos de 2017 mostraram que estava errado.\n [\/card]\n\n\n\n

Implementa\u00e7\u00e3o atrav<\/strong>\u00e9s de parceiros<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Este \u00e9 o\nprojecto que est\u00e1 desenhado e aprovado pela CELPA. Nas quest\u00f5es da metodologia\ne do processo, a CELPA n\u00e3o vai ligar-se \u00e0 operacionaliza\u00e7\u00e3o\ndirectamente com propriet\u00e1rios, sendo a iniciativa implementada no terreno\natrav\u00e9s de uma rede de\nparceiros. No entender da associa\u00e7\u00e3o, a rede de parceiros pode ser uma\norganiza\u00e7\u00e3o de produtores florestais, um prestador de servi\u00e7os, um madeireiro\nou um grupo de certifica\u00e7\u00e3o florestal. \u201cTodas as entidades que, atrav\u00e9s da sua actividade CAE, cheguem\naos propriet\u00e1rios e possam levarlhes esta iniciativa s\u00e3o entidades\ninteressantes para integrar a rede de parceiros\u201d, diz Ant\u00f3nio Macedo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3222\"]\n\n\n\n

Os impactos e os benef\u00edcios do programa Limpa & Aduba s\u00e3o\nclaros para todos os intervenientes, distribuindo riqueza por toda a fileira\nflorestal. A simplicidade de ades\u00e3o ao programa, sem burocracia, permite aos\npropriet\u00e1rios aumentarem a produtividade no seu terreno, o que, na pr\u00e1tica, \u00e9 sin\u00f3nimo de um aumento do rendimento. Mais madeira produzida na\nmesma extens\u00e3o \u00e9 positivo\ntamb\u00e9m para os madeireiros e\npara os prestadores de servi\u00e7os. Ao estar limpa, a \u00e1rea ter\u00e1 mais resili\u00eancia aos inc\u00eandios, menos terreno ardido e menor perda.\nEstima-se que se verifique um aumento de dois milh\u00f5es de metros c\u00fabicos entre\n2023 e 2033, o que permitir\u00e1 substituir a madeira produzida em Portugal por uma\nparte da madeira importada pela ind\u00fastria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ant\u00f3nio Macedo sabe que, para a iniciativa ser bem-sucedida, \u00e9 necess\u00e1rio ter uma boa estrat\u00e9gia de comunica\u00e7\u00e3o do programa, dentro e fora das empresas, sendo necess\u00e1rio escolher criteriosamente a rede de parceiros, no sentido de incluir entidades ou empresas que consigam ver o valor e os benef\u00edcios desta iniciativa: \u201cOs parceiros n\u00e3o se podem sentir amea\u00e7ados pela ind\u00fastria ou entrar em competi\u00e7\u00e3o. A ind\u00fastria tem um hist\u00f3rico muito voltado para dentro, para as suas necessidades e o seu patrim\u00f3nio. Este \u00e9 um programa de grande dimens\u00e3o para a promo\u00e7\u00e3o e a valoriza\u00e7\u00e3o da floresta privada, que pode trazer alguns conflitos com os prestadores de servi\u00e7os. \u00c9 necess\u00e1rio ter alguma sensibilidade neste tema.\u201d  <\/p>\n","_pt_post_name":"limpa-aduba-um-programa-de-apoio-a-producao-e-gestao-florestal","_pt_post_excerpt":"A CELPA est\u00e1 a implementar o programa numa \u00e1rea de 100 mil hectares, em parceria com os produtores, com os prestadores de servi\u00e7os florestais e com a ind\u00fastria.","_pt_post_title":"Limpa & Aduba, um programa de apoio \u00e0 produ\u00e7\u00e3o e gest\u00e3o florestal","_en_post_content":"\n[lead]Active and professional forest management pays off. CELPA is working in partnership with producers, forestry service providers and with the timber industry to implement a programme covering almost 250,000 acres (100,000 hectares). The result will be an increase in timber production within that area but with a lower fire risk. [\/lead]\n\n\n\n

The Clear and\nFertilize programme, promoted by the Paper Industry Association (CELPA), forms\npart of the Better Eucalyptus project. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, who is in charge of implementing the programme, is a man\nwhose life and work are connected with the forest. He worked as a forest\nengineer at Soporcel for 18 years (1985-2002), where he headed up the Forest\nManagement Planning Office. From 2002 to 2005 he was the director-general of\nForestry (DGF and DGRF) and the director of the Biomass and Energy Centre\n[Centro de Biomassa e Energia (CBE)]. From 2005 he worked as a consultant at\nseveral companies in the forestry sector, and after 2009 took on the\nAdministration of Metacortex. In February of 2013 he was elected chairman of\nthe Engineering Association\u2019s Forest Engineering College. He has worked with\nCELPA since January 2017, when he was invited to join and coordinate a more\noperational dimension of CELPA\u2019s Better Eucalyptus programme, in order to\nextend the outreach of its technical support structure to private individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ant\u00f3nio Macedo explains the Clear and Fertilize\ninitiative and the reasons why it was created. \u201cThe hangover after the forest\nfires of 2017 led to apathy, a total lack of interest and a withdrawal of\ninvestment by many forest owners and producers. Furthermore, forest reform was\npassed that penalised and discredited the eucalyptus tree\u201d. He tells us how\nthose who work on the ground know that many people lost their enthusiasm for\nworking the forest. They now prefer to hand over or sell their land. A hefty\nproportion of owners were already failing to comply with minimal forest\nmanagement standards and good practices, and following 2017 this situation only\nworsened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portuguese\nindustry lacks timber <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of\ntimber is a problem, and the increased and perceived risk by owners associated\nwith investing in forestry is not helping. It\u2019s a worrying situation for CELPA\nand for the industry. A plot which should hold 100 trees is only holding 50,\neven on fertile ground, as a result of the forest being neglected and good\npractices not being applied on the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"Simple procedures with no red tape, which respect owners\u2019 autonomy\" ]\n\n\n\n

As well as the\ndevastation of eucalyptus forests caused by the 2017 fires, there are also\npests and diseases which affect productivity. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo coordinates an Iberia-wide plan of action to fight and\ncontrol the eucalyptus weevil (Gonipterus platensis), which also affects\neucalyptus tree productivity. If we add to these factors the legal limitations\nand restrictions on planting, we end up with a scenario where there is a highly\nproblematic imbalance between timber production and consumption. <\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3204\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"Goals of the Clear and Fertilize programme\" type=\"normal\"] 1.\tReduce the risk of forest fire and pests, increasing the eucalyptus forest\u2019s resistance and resilience by controlling vegetation and selecting saplings.\n2.\tIncreasing productivity of privately-owned eucalyptus, by encouraging forest management using good practices, but also by promoting investment with a view to achieving greater profitability.\n3.\tImproving relations with stakeholders and ensuring better public opinion, by cultivating a better image for the tree species.\n4.\tPromoting forest management and certification with owners and the organisations which represent them.\n [\/card]\n\n\n\n

Promoting\nforest management by owners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An owner of a\nforest mini-holding with a small plot of land generally does nothing to improve\nit. Some of the rationale behind this outlook is: \u201cIf I\u2019m lucky I may just get\nby \u2013 I didn\u2019t invest anything but I still managed to make some money; however,\nif there\u2019s a fire I won\u2019t have lost much because I didn\u2019t spend anything.\u201d  In order to fight against this inertia and\nlack of interest, the industry decided to support the sector in promoting good\npractices and increasing forest owners\u2019 productivity. It was against this\nbackground that the Better Eucalyptus project arose in 2015. It was important\nto understand the best way to convey knowledge to owners. An information\nwebsite was created, and 15 excellent videos produced detailing best forestry\npractices and different operations. Sessions were held up and down the country.\nIt was a worthy effort but it needed to go further, with forest management\noperations actually implemented, together with owners employing good practices\nfrom a more operational standpoint. As Ant\u00f3nio Macedo says, \u201cAnyone can pay lip service, but it\u2019s more difficult to\nactually do what needs to be done. Talk is cheap\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Models of\ncooperation with forestry management bodies were tested on the ground\nthroughout 2017. Pilot projects were trialled, with the prior knowledge that\nthese experiments may not be a total success but would indicate the path that\nneeded to be taken and the best way to support forest owners. The projects were\ncarried out in the region of mini-holdings in Cantanhede, where half the\ndistrict\u2019s plots of land averaged about two and a half acres (one hectare). This\ncan be transposed to this entire region. The pilot project was assisted by an\nassociation of forest producers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second pilot\nproject was held in the area of Abrantes with Sociedade Gestiverde, which\nmanages a Forest Intervention Zone [Zona de Interven\u00e7\u00e3o Florestal (ZIF)], and\nwhich knows the area of intervention, the land and the owners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ant\u00f3nio Macedo acknowledges that not many signed up\nto this initiative, partly owing to the kind of measures proposed and to the\ncontractual requirements. On top of this, there were the fires of 2017, which\nlaid waste to two thirds of the ZIF in Abrantes and all of Cantanhede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focusing on a\nmodel of proximity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim was to\nlearn from past mistakes in encouraging proximity and building closer ties with\nforest producers and owners, based on the Growth Sul programme which aimed to\nincrease productivity and resilience to fire. The initiative came to CELPA\u2019s\nattention. The process was a simple one: owners had to invest to control\nvegetation, and adjust densities and fuel management, and in return they would\nreceive investment to fertilize their cleared land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"As well decreasing the fire risk, the programme also allows productivity to be increased\"]\n\n\n\n

The initiative,\nwhich was implemented at the start of 2018 in the districts of Monchique,\nOdemira and Aljezur, was welcomed by owners, with 104 of them signing up and an\narea of intervention of almost 2,500 acres (1,002 hectares). Three service\nproviders also joined up to help implement the Growth Sul programme. The way in\nwhich the model was received was the spark that ignited CELPA\u2019s desire to roll\nit out to other areas. \u201cWe liked the concept. We understood that we needed to\ntest this model on mini-holdings, starting with pilot projects in the districts\nof Cantanhede, Anadia and \u00c1gueda.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition,\nthey understood that they couldn\u2019t just involve forest producer associations,\nand would have to extend their remit to include timber suppliers and service\nproviders. Ant\u00f3nio tells us \u201cThese bodies are able\nto reach many smaller owners and can help in growing the network of partners\ninvolved\u201d, and emphasises that \u201cwhere there\u2019s business to be done, the emphasis\nis different, and there is a different impetus\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3213\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"Eligibility criteria of eucalyptus areas \" type=\"normal \"] \n\u2022 Pure eucalyptus population; \n\u2022 Area suitable for eucalyptus;\n\u2022 Population age range from 2 to 6 years, preferably until the 3rd rotation;\n\u2022 Densities of populations (>800 living stumps);\n\u2022 Areas with no environmental restraints, particularly on fertilization; \n\u2022 Areas of over 0.6 acres (0.25 hectares) per plot;\n\u2022 Priority and upscaling of forest certification;\n\u2022 Owner\u2019s commitment to clearing land and selecting saplings, \nin accordance with the technical recommendation of the Better Eucalyptus Project.\n[\/card]\n\n\n\n

Over four weeks,\nwith four partners taking part (loggers, service providers and forest producer\nassociations) almost 500 acres (over 200 hectares) were identified as being\nsuitable for hosting the programme. Work was carried out on 370 acres (150\nhectares), corresponding to 48 plots of land on the spot, the smallest of which\nwas one acre. The owners cleared their land, and in return were offered\nfertilizer and its application. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo\nsays that \u201cEveryone was happy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to\nCELPA, the model adopted was a hit. It demonstrated that it could be replicated\non a larger scale and that the Clear and Fertilize initiative was good at\nstimulating action in areas of mini-holdings. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo explains what, in his view, led to this initiative being\nsuccessful and highly-regarded by those who signed up to the programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf ground is\ncleared in accordance with technical recommendations the fire risk is decreased\nby reducing the fuel load. This doesn\u2019t mean that that plot of land can\u2019t be\nswept by a forest fire, but the risk is lowered. Even if that area does burn,\nit is more resilient. It still burns, but its recovery is much faster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well\ndecreasing the fire risk, the programme also allows productivity to be\nincreased. This could be the driving force to guarantee that this initiative\nremains in operation for a long time. In the near future, if the results of the\nprogramme are positive, and the timber imports are able to be reduced, CELPA\u2019s\ngoal is to channel a part of that sum towards continuing with the initiative.\nIndeed, with the restrictions on increasing new areas of eucalyptus, the\nchallenge is to increase productivity. Macedo assures us that \u201cThere is great\nscope for improvement in existing eucalyptus forests\u201d, and he cites the example\nof what happened during five consecutive years in a network of permanent plots\nwhich were subject to on-the-ground visits. 64% of those plots showed no signs\nwhatsoever of management having been carried out. This demonstrates how the\nforest is neglected and explains low productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple to\nsign up <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forest\nmanagement pays off, and this programme helps to promote it. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo believes that the two main aspects\nof Clear and Fertilize are \u201cthere being no commitment to selling the timber,\nand a removal of red tape in signing up for the programme, with no contractual\ndocumentation, which greatly simplified the signing up process\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"The programme is only implemented in areas which are purely eucalyptus rather than a mixture of trees, and on land which is average to very good for eucalyptus cultivation\"]\n\n\n\n

Further to these\ntwo points, there is also the forest agents\u2019 positive reaction towards the\nadvantages and benefits of \u201cbusiness\u201d taking place, either for the loggers,\nowners, forest producer associations and service providers, of appropriate interventions\nbeing carried out, of case-specific good practices being implemented on each\nproperty, and finally, of setting up a partnership for resuming forest\nmanagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result of\nthe pilot projects undertaken in these areas was an eye-opener. The interventions\ncould clearly be seen in the form of cleared undergrowth of appropriate\ndensity, which has a positive impact on the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extending to\n250,000 acres <\/strong>(100,000\nhectares)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Clear and\nFertilize project was created for mini-holdings and designed to be applied in\nfive regions. In accordance with CELPA\u2019s inventory data, the programme is only\nimplemented in areas which are purely eucalyptus rather than a mixture of\ntrees, and on land which is average to very good for eucalyptus cultivation.\nOur interviewee tells us \u201cthe earlier the intervention is carried out, the\nbetter the results will be\u201d. He explains that when resources are limited,\nchoices have to be made. On the land selected for intervention, not including\nits own property managed directly by the industry, the existing area for the\nenhancement programme includes over a million acres (411,000 hectares). <\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3225\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"The forest is only given priority at election time \" type=\"normal\"] He was the Director-General of Forestry from 2002 to 2005. He gained this position not through political affiliation but on technical merit alone, which he had accrued at Soporcel. He acknowledges that it wasn\u2019t an easy decision to switch jobs. \u201cYou give everything you\u2019ve got, until there\u2019s nothing more to give\u201d. As always happens, the forest is always a priority at election time, but when it comes to taking action there are always other issues to deal with. With Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, it was no different. He found a minister with other priorities within his Ministry. This was the case with Armando Sevinate Pinto, the minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries from 2002 to July 2004. But after the major fires of 2003 which saw over a million acres (430,000 hectares) go up in flames, Ant\u00f3nio Macedo says he witnessed the minister spending 70% of his time rethinking the forest and coming up with measures to prevent such an event being repeated. Many of the measures still in place came about at that time. One of them was the structural reform of the forestry sector which included the permanent management fund \u2013 provided through a fuel tax \u2013 GIFs (Major Forest Fires), and the management fund. \nAs a professional and technician, Ant\u00f3nio Macedo thought it would be impossible to get any worse than the fires of 2003. Unfortunately, the events of 2017 showed how wrong he was.\n[\/card]\n\n\n\n

The Clear and\nFertilize plan drawn up by CELPA, for a period of five years, aims to cover\n250,000 acres (100,000 hectares of eucalyptus forest. Ant\u00f3nio Macedo would like to go even further than\nthat, but his plan is very difficult to design and implement, particularly on\nmini-holdings. We are at Year 0, and we still don\u2019t have a real idea of how it\nwill be received and how the initiative will develop on the ground. For now, it\nhas been well received. <\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"The impacts and benefits of the Clear and Fertilize programme are evident for all those involved, distributing wealth amongst the entire forestry industry\"]\n\n\n\n

The programme\nhas already been put in place in three operating regions. This year each region\nwill have an area of around 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares), making a total\nintervention of almost 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares). Next year this initiative\nwill be extended to two more regions, making a total area of 30,000 acres\n(12,000 hectares), the year after that 37,000 acres (15,000 hectares) and the\nfollowing year 44,500 acres (18,000 hectares). It will follow an upward curve\nuntil 2024, by which time the area covered by the Clear and Fertilize programme\nwill have totalled 250,000 acres (100,000 hectares).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implementation\nthrough partners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the\nproject that has been designed and approved by CELPA. On issues relating to the\nmethodology and process, CELPA will not be directly joining the operation with\nowners, as the initiative is being implemented on the ground through a network\nof partners. The association deems that the network or partners may be an\norganisation of forest producers, a service provider, a logger or a forest\ncertification group. According to Ant\u00f3nio Macedo, \u201cAll bodies which reach out to owners via their EAC business\nactivity and which may bring this initiative to them are of interest to us, to\nform part of our network of partners\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"3222\"]\n\n\n\n

The impacts and\nbenefits of the Clear and Fertilize programme are evident for all those\ninvolved, distributing wealth amongst the entire forestry industry. The\nsimplified signing-up procedure, with no red tape, enables owners to increase\nproductivity on their land which, in practice, translates into increased\nrevenue. More timber produced in the same area is also a positive thing for\nloggers and service providers. Once cleared, the area will be more resilient to\nfire, and there will be less land burnt and decreased losses. It is estimated\nthat there will be an increase of two million cubic metres between 2023 and\n2033, which will allow for a portion of the timber imported to meet the\nindustry\u2019s needs to be replaced by home-grown timber. \n\nAnt\u00f3nio Macedo knows that for the initiative to be\nsuccessful, it needs a good communication strategy, both inside and outside\ncompanies. Partners therefore have to be carefully chosen to make up the\nnetwork, making sure to include bodies and companies which can see the benefits\nof this initiative: \u201cThe partners mustn\u2019t feel threatened by the industry or\ncompete with it. The industry has historically been very inward-looking,\nfocusing on its own needs and properties. This is a large-scale programme to\npromote and increase the value of the forest which is in private hands, and\nthis may lead to some conflicts with service providers. We need to handle this issue\nsensitively.\u201d \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","_en_post_name":"","_en_post_excerpt":"","_en_post_title":"Clear and Fertilize, a programme providing support for forest production and management","edit_language":"en","footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[426],"class_list":["post-2721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-floresta","tag-edicao-4"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2721"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3934,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2721\/revisions\/3934"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}